What are Stranded Spawns in Overwatch 2?

One of the worst feelings a player can have in Overwatch 2 is when you fall just before the next spawn point is activated, forcing you to make the long trek over while your team fights a lopsided battle as the enemy pushes into the following point.

Staying grouped and playing as a single unit is key to success in Overwatch, but whenever teammates are stuck at an old spawn point, it can hold up the advances and plans of a team while wasting precious time that could have been used to take positions or launch an offensive on the objectives.

Luckily, Blizzard is implementing a new system that will change how old spawns work, so you can join your team for a counter-attack as soon as possible.

The new Stranded Spawns, explained

With the new Stranded Spawns system, players who find themselves in inactive spawn rooms no longer have to traverse through an entire portion of the map just to regroup with their teammates.

Instead, the old spawn room will remain active for seven seconds, and although players cannot switch heroes here, they will still be provided spawn protection and healing.

More importantly, players in old spawn rooms also have the option to teleport themselves to the new spawn room, which cuts down on travel time and allows them to jump right into the thick of battle as soon as possible. This is also great for heroes with low mobility who have no quick ways to travel back to their squad, unlike those with speed-ups and boosts.

Related: Overwatch 2 Season 4 full patch notes and updates

Additionally, this should prevent winning teams from snowballing a game, especially if they’re jumping onto the point because they know an enemy hero is stuck at the old spawn point and has to make a relatively long walk back to the action.

The new Stranded Spawn system will be added to all modes after the Season Four update, so whether you’re trying to rank up or play some casual matches with friends, you’ll be sticking together a lot more often on the battlefield.